Advice needed - lost job

[Danni3ll3]

I didn't mean to slight Canadians. I know they tip. I didn't make my point well. Some people use various excuses not to tip I love my friends but will never understand their excuse. I agree that the OP's financial history is not our business. I wish them the best and truly hope they csn go since they can't get their money back.

 

I didn't take it as a slight so no worries on that account. I just wanted to clarify that saying that Canadians don't tip as a rule is simply not true. Like you, I have Canadians acquaintances who are also cheap skates. One particular person consistently removes the gratuities/hotel service charge from her account and says that she tips individually but no one has ever seen her do it. Fortunately, Canadians like her are the exception rather than the rule.

[ger_77]

We have dear Canadian friends who tell us that they don't tip because it is not customary in Canada. Yet, we have traveled there numerous times and have always tipped.

 

I'm not sure which part of Canada your friends are from, but we've travelled from coast to coast and yes, it is customary up here on the "frozen tundra "to tip. I dislike it when people paint an entire nation with one brush simply because they are too cheap.

 

I do hope the OP will be able to find a way to enjoy their cruise, coming home refreshed and ready to look for new employment.

 

Smooth Sailing! :) :) :)

[DirtyDawg]

I didn't take it as a slight so no worries on that account. I just wanted to clarify that saying that Canadians don't tip as a rule is simply not true. Like you, I have Canadians acquaintances who are also cheap skates. One particular person consistently removes the gratuities/hotel service charge from her account and says that she tips individually but no one has ever seen her do it. Fortunately, Canadians like her are the exception rather than the rule.

 

Your friend probably does't like beer either.:o

Or Tim Hortons!:eek:

I'd check her citizenship status if I were you.;)

[kimlovesfl]

If the only people who traveled were the ones with a 6 month cushion of expenses in the bank, the travel industry would be in sad shape indeed.

 

Since the OP can't get her money back, why not go on the cruise? Everyone has good suggestions-sell unneeded items for some cash for the trip, etc. Perhaps odd jobs? House cleaning, pet sitting, tending to someone's yard or something? I wish them both luck on the job hunt, and I do hope they enjoy their cruise.

[chrispb]

Maybe she posted on the Roll Call because their was lots of Aussies on it and, as we all know, Aussies are nicer.:D

 

Lots of honest answers on this thread but not a lot of diplomatic honest answers.:rolleyes:

 

You're right on both counts :cool:

 

Some people need to engage brain before opening mouth. Strange how a few recent threads by different OPs who have disappeared because of nastiness by the same couple of posters. They know who they are!

[Katgoesonholiday]

I was wondering if, given that it is a 60th birthday cruise, you have children or family that would be willing to contribute a few $$$ in lieu of a birthday present. That might help close the gap a bit.

 

And I think that it is exactly now that you really need a cruise so do everything you can to make it happen!

 

Good luck!

[notentirelynormal]

I was wondering if, given that it is a 60th birthday cruise, you have children or family that would be willing to contribute a few $$$ in lieu of a birthday present. That might help close the gap a bit.

 

And I think that it is exactly now that you really need a cruise so do everything you can to make it happen!

 

Good luck!

 

That's a great idea. Even if all they can give is $50 that will help. If you have enough kids you could have a super time. :D

[boating girl]

Your friend probably does't like beer either.:o

Or Tim Hortons!:eek:

I'd check her citizenship status if I were you.;)

 

LOL. They do like beer and Tim Horton' s. They always use the excuse of Canadians pay their workers adequately so tips are not necessary. We always tip double when we eat out with them.

[Velvetwater]

LOL. They do like beer and Tim Horton' s. They always use the excuse of Canadians pay their workers adequately so tips are not necessary. We always tip double when we eat out with them.

 

Do they pay a fair minimum wage all across Canada?

 

I ask this because if so a large chunk of the world does this (Including Aus) which is why tips are generally around 10-15% instead. If the service is inadequate usually no tip is left.

 

However I would not dream of not giving 10% or so for general good and standard service.

Edited March 16, 2015 by Velvetwater

[CowPrincess]

If the only people who traveled were the ones with a 6 month cushion of expenses in the bank, the travel industry would be in sad shape indeed.

 

Since the OP can't get her money back, why not go on the cruise? Everyone has good suggestions-sell unneeded items for some cash for the trip, etc. Perhaps odd jobs? House cleaning, pet sitting, tending to someone's yard or something? I wish them both luck on the job hunt, and I do hope they enjoy their cruise.

 

I agree. Go on the cruise. And this is just MHO but I think using a credit card to cover the tips/grats/HSC (or some portion thereof) would be appropriate in this instance (though I am generally anti-credit-card, anti-debt). The OP is about 2 weeks from sailing, so other than selling off scrap gold, not a lot can be done in that period of time to raise $$$. But plenty can be done once back home, post-cruise.

 

I too am sorry to see some of the unkind and/or judgmental remarks the OP got .... not everyone's life is perfect, and even if yours is today, your story could be different next week or next month. I'm sure that if the OP had known back when she booked the cruise that there were be an interruption in income, she may have made different choices.

 

OP best wishes for your trip, and for your DH's employment search when you get back home. It will work out. Maybe not exactly as planned, but it will work out. I got "downsized" (along with 599 others on that one day :eek: ) (and that was just a small portion of the total # of people who lost their jobs). It does work out. It is scary as heck. But it does work out.

[sail7seas]

I was wondering if, given that it is a 60th birthday cruise, you have children or family that would be willing to contribute a few $$$ in lieu of a birthday present. That might help close the gap a bit.

 

And I think that it is exactly now that you really need a cruise so do everything you can to make it happen!

 

Good luck!

 

What a good suggestion. Hope it is possible for that to happen.

[Danni3ll3]

She isn't a friend, Hence the acquaintance designation. I have never seen her drink beer nor go to Tim Hortons. Maybe I should call immigration on her. LOL

[AmazedByCruising]

You paid for the cruise and cannot reverse that. So just forget about ever having bought a ticket.

 

Now consider what you would do if someone showed up at the door. "We heard about your bad luck, so we thought we should give you a free cruise." In the small print it says that it would be nice to pay for the advised tips, but there is absolutely no obligation to do so. If you'd feel bad about removing the gratuities, on your next cruise (there will be one) you can ask the front office to double it when times get better. You will not spend anything on groceries, gas, etc. And it's probably going to be the best vacation you ever had at a time you probably can use one. (Actually I'm quite sure it will be the best vacation because you said you never cruised before).

 

IMHO, financial trouble is precisely a good reason to not let the opportunity of an almost free cruise go by!

[RickT]

I don't know your full situation however I was in a similar situation with a Medical cruise a few years back. No way was in going to let the loss of a job cause me to ruin what turned out to be a great vacation and exactly what I needed given my lack of employment.

 

Decide what you need to do to enjoy the cruise, and dip into your nest egg to pay for it. Going on a cruise and not having fun or doing what you'd like to do would probably ruin the cruise experience.

 

Sometimes when life throws you a curve ball you think you need to stop living, but the opposite is really what you need.

 

Good luck.

[legaljen1969]

A different thought: It's too late to cancel ... but would the cruise line allow you to transfer your reservation to a later date? Hopefully by that point you'd be employed again, or you'd have had time to save the gratuities, etc. from a source other than your work.

 

It might be worth asking.

 

Great idea. The worst they can say is "no," and then the OP isn't any worse off than before.

 

I will post my own thoughts in another post.

[DirtyDawg]

Do they pay a fair minimum wage all across Canada?

 

I ask this because if so a large chunk of the world does this (Including Aus) which is why tips are generally around 10-15% instead. If the service is inadequate usually no tip is left.

 

However I would not dream of not giving 10% or so for general good and standard service.

 

Minimum wage ranges From $10 - $11 CDN depending on the Province. Student min. wage is slightly less. Minimum wage for liquor servers in Ontario is $9.55 per hour (Ontario's min. wage is $11.)

 

How does that compare to the UK and the U.S.?

[legaljen1969]

To the OP, I know what it feels like to lose a job so close to a cruise. Only it has happened to me twice at the end of the vacation. Well, one vacation we had just returned from Walt Disney World, and the other was a cruise. The next trip to Disney? Not really "the happiest place on Earth" due to memories of the trip before that. The next cruise? Not the relaxing experience of previous ones, but you can't let the past dictate the future completely.

 

It is a horrible sinking feeling you have when you realize you can't get your money back just before a vacation. I don't know if it is worse when you realize you can't unspend what you just spent. I doubt it. Either way, it really stinks.

 

I have terrible anxiety just before vacation now. I am always afraid to return and not have a job. We live on a shoestring before we go on a vacation once we have paid our final deposit. I actually pay my bills for two months in advance beyond my return from vacation "just in case." I guess the silver lining in that cloud is the weight I end up losing from being so worried all the time. My stomach is a wreck.

 

My husband thought I was nuts until he returned home from a vacation to visit his parents and found out he was being laid off. It really does make you wonder if those vacations are worth it.

 

I am here to tell you, no matter what happens, take the vacation and enjoy your life. Bad stuff is going to happen. You have already paid for the bulk of everything.

 

Just don't do any extra added stuff on your vacation. If gratuities are something that concerns you, then you just have to figure out what else you can do to be able to afford those. You cannot and must not forego the tips. I know that the issue of whether people should be paid so they don't depend on tips is a whole separate debate.

 

We are going on a cruise in April. The cruise being paid for by my parents, as an anniversary gift. They gave us a certain amount we could spend. We ended up choosing a lower cost cabin and decided to take advantage of some other "for fee" options that we haven't done before. We did the prepaid gratuities as well, but will likely give a little more anyhow. We still haven't gone above the amount they gave us. We have a small budget to go over and above what they gave us- but it is very minimal.

 

You can return and find your job gone. You can go and live your life after your world turns upside down. The point is, you have already paid for the cruise. You may as well enjoy it as much as possible.

 

My pre-vacation is causing less anxiety this time, but it still unnerves me. I have reached the point that I fully believe that life is going happen no matter what I do. I can enjoy my life and deal with the bumps that come along, OR I can avoid life to avoid the bumps. I have spent a lot of time avoiding the bumps.

 

We were under budget on our three trips prior to job loss, but in hindsight we would have spent even less if we had known. My last job loss and my husband's job loss, we both got let go on the day after we returned. We wouldn't have spent money on airfare to get back quickly if we had known we were going to get canned. We would have just driven to our cruise and driven back home. He had been with his company for 15 years, and they sold the company while he was on vacation. We both saw signs that it was coming, but didn't realize the time table for the changes. I had only been where I was for just over three years- but my boss was retiring. I knew it when I started the job. I just thought I would be able to stay with the company and work for someone else. It didn't work out that way. My own foolish optimism.

 

Neither of us take off any days other than paid holidays that ALL employees in our companies get. Both of our company's have a "use it or lose it" vacation policy. No rollovers. At my last job, I used one week for vacation. I used the rest of my time for a surgery scheduled late in the year, and ended up going back to work before I should have due to no more paid time off. Well, I ended up back in the hospital two days before Christmas with cellulitis. I was to get Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and the day after Christmas as paid holidays. I ended up in the hospital on the night of December 22, and was hooked up to IV antibiotics on December 23rd. I felt so horrible, I didn't care that I had an unpaid day off. When I called to let someone know, they yelled at me for taking off "excessive time." The prior two years, I ended up losing my extra days (about 10 per year). I was only taking my one week's vacation per year. Let me tell you, after being hooked up to antibiotics and getting yelled out, my "give a damn" hit the skids. There is no job worth that.

 

If your company is going to fire you, they are going to fire you. Nothing you can do to change it.

 

As others have said, take the cruise. Just minimize the "for fee" as much as possible.

 

Hope things turn around for you soon.

[rickays]

2newcruisers please come back and let us know you are ok. If you feel you are unable to put another message on this board, please send me a private message. I'm also on your cruise and I would love to meet up with you and buy you a birthday drink. Please, we want you to do this cruise. Dont be put off by a few people who insist you must pay gratuities. I truly believe that the $11.50 per person per day is only a suggestion and those that are financial should pay at least the suggestion, and those that cannot should choose a lesser amount with no worry of condemnation. To put my money where my mouth is I will increase my gratuities on this cruise to help offset what you cannot pay. You never know, you might get home, hubby get a job and in no time you are organising your next cruise and then you can pay a little more next time. Please come and enjoy your cruise.

[BridgeMates]

2newcruisers please come back and let us know you are ok. If you feel you are unable to put another message on this board, please send me a private message. I'm also on your cruise and I would love to meet up with you and buy you a birthday drink. Please, we want you to do this cruise. Dont be put off by a few people who insist you must pay gratuities. I truly believe that the $11.50 per person per day is only a suggestion and those that are financial should pay at least the suggestion, and those that cannot should choose a lesser amount with no worry of condemnation. To put my money where my mouth is I will increase my gratuities on this cruise to help offset what you cannot pay. You never know, you might get home, hubby get a job and in no time you are organising your next cruise and then you can pay a little more next time. Please come and enjoy your cruise.

 

Pay it Forward! Wonderful.

[Grandma Dazzles]

2newcruisers please come back and let us know you are ok. If you feel you are unable to put another message on this board, please send me a private message. I'm also on your cruise and I would love to meet up with you and buy you a birthday drink. Please, we want you to do this cruise. Dont be put off by a few people who insist you must pay gratuities. I truly believe that the $11.50 per person per day is only a suggestion and those that are financial should pay at least the suggestion, and those that cannot should choose a lesser amount with no worry of condemnation. To put my money where my mouth is I will increase my gratuities on this cruise to help offset what you cannot pay. You never know, you might get home, hubby get a job and in no time you are organising your next cruise and then you can pay a little more next time. Please come and enjoy your cruise.

 

How nice of you.

 

I truly believe in paying gratuities - and I said so earlier in the post. I said it with the idea of paying gratuities over "special coffee cards" or the like. The whole gratuity thing is a totally separate subject, and not something to be debated on this thread. However, I also sincerely hoped that OP would take the cruise and not lose money.

 

I think the idea of "family birthday money" is an excellent one. OP should take advantage of as many free things on board as possible. I am a very frequent cruiser and never really spend a great deal on board.

 

Hope original OP comes back to the thread. Blessings to you for being so kind to a stranger ..... very impressed ...... pay it forward is a wonderful thing.

[Grandma Dazzles]

Minimum wage ranges From $10 - $11 CDN depending on the Province. Student min. wage is slightly less. Minimum wage for liquor servers in Ontario is $9.55 per hour (Ontario's min. wage is $11.)

 

How does that compare to the UK and the U.S.?

 

Varies from state to state.

 

In Wisconsin:

 

General Minimum wage is $7.25 per hour.

Tipped employees general minimum wage is $2.33 per hour.

 

General Minimum wage for "opportunity employees/under 20 as an example" minimum wage is $5.90 per hour and $2.13 for tipped employees.

[Danni3ll3]

Please remember that one USD is worth $1.28 CDN as of this morning. We need to compare oranges to oranges. So the US wage is really $9.27 CDN per hour for general minimum wage. Tipped employees are $2.98 CDN. Canadians do come out ahead in terms of wages, however, we pay 42% of our wages in tax from the quick research I did.

[6rugrats]

Thank you for your kind thought - I am trying to keep positive. We have been so looking forward to this - its strange how you think your life is going ok and then something comes along to wreck all your plans.

 

I've only read this thread through this post. But, this is how life is. Stuff happens. Take the trip; you never know what will happen in your future and you need good memories. Don't pay tips if you can't afford them. Life will go on no matter if you do or don't.

 

Your situation is stressful, but at least you still have each other. We were in the middle of moving from the west coast of the US to the east coast when my husband unexpectedly died, leaving me with a 13 year old DD to raise, and a house on the east coast I never even lived in.

 

It could be worse! Good luck to you.

Edited March 17, 2015 by 6rugrats

[sail7seas]

2newcruisers please come back and let us know you are ok. If you feel you are unable to put another message on this board, please send me a private message. I'm also on your cruise and I would love to meet up with you and buy you a birthday drink. Please, we want you to do this cruise.

 

<snip>

 

 

CC does not have private messaging.

 

 

I've only read this thread through this post. But, this is how life is. Stuff happens. Take the trip; you never know what will happen in your future and you need good memories. Don't pay tips if you can't afford them. Life will go on no matter if you do or don't.

 

Your situation is stressful, but at least you still have each other. We were in the middle of moving from the west coast of the US to the east coast when my husband unexpectedly died, leaving me with a 13 year old DD to raise, and a house on the east coast I never even lived in.

 

It could be worse! Good luck to you.

 

 

 

Rugrats, I am so sorry to read this. Though I've read lots of your posts, I had no idea. I lost my DH this past year after 47 years together. Though under different circumstances than you, I know how hard it is.

 

[Velvetwater]

Minimum wage ranges From $10 - $11 CDN depending on the Province. Student min. wage is slightly less. Minimum wage for liquor servers in Ontario is $9.55 per hour (Ontario's min. wage is $11.)

 

How does that compare to the UK and the U.S.?

 

 

Minumum wage is about to go up to £6.70 ph (around $10 USD and around $12 CD) with under 21s being paid a pound or so less.

 

There are no such thing as tipped employees as government guidelines mean everyone has to be paid as the above. The only exception is student based apprentices who have to be paid around half that ph.